Mindmapping

A mind map* might be considered to be a form of concept map, though the idea is said to have been invented and named by Tony Buzan in the late 1960s, before Novak described concept maps in the 1970s. What first differentiates a mind map from a concept map is that it is centered around one topic and the subtopics radiate out from it.

There are other differences, spelled out in Buzan's "Rules of Mind Mapping":

• Start in the centre with an image of the topic;
• use colours and images throughout;
• each word/image must be alone;
• the lines must be connected, starting from the central image;
• the central lines are thicker, organic and flowing, becoming thinner as they radiate from the centre;
• use emphasis and show associations in your mind map;
• keep the mind map clear by using radiant hierarchy, numerical order or outlines to embrace your branches;
• develop your own personal style of mind maps.

Some people find these rules confining, depending on the purpose at the time.

You can see examples of mind maps that strictly interpret Buzan's model of a central topic, colors, single words per node, curved and 'organic' lines, by clicking on in this selective link: Mindmaps Directory -- real mind maps.

Then there are all the variations -- any graph with a central topic and nodes radiating out from that (or on one side of the page and drawn like a fan). Well over half the references to "mind maps" on the web are of this type. Click this selective link from our Directory: Mindmaps Directory -- spidergrams to see wide range of examples.